The Karnataka government is considering introduction of a state law prohibiting child labor in order to plug loop holes in the existing Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (CLA), 1986, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said here on Thursday while addressing a meeting in connection with World Anti-Child Labour Day.

“Specifically in Karnataka business activities have spilled over into new and diverse areas over the past 20 years and the 1986 Act is vague and does not define work hazards for children in new industries. A few people are using these loopholes to employ children for labour and are getting away with the offences,” Siddaramiah said.

Reacting to a submission by the state labour department that though 19038 cases had been booked against violators of the child labor law since 2001 only four had resulted in were imprisonment. Apart from increasing the penalty and imprisonment term a new law is needed against employers of children, Siddaramaiah said. The Karnataka chief minister said that the government will discuss achieving better conviction rates with prosecutors and the law department.